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LOVING WOKDS, 



IN 



TWO SERMONS TO CHILDREN 



BY THE 

Eey. adolph monod, 

OF PARIS. 



TRANSLATED FROM THE TRENCH 

FOR 
THE PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OP PUBLICATION. 




PHILADELPHIA : 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

NO. 821 CHESTNUT STREET. 



f^ 



"BV43I5 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by 

THE TRUSTEES OP THE 

PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District 
of Pennsylvania. 

STEREOTYPED BY WESTCOIT & THOMSON. 



z 4 



177 



PREFACE. 



The following two discourses to children, by the 
Rev. Adolph Monod, were delivered on successive anni- 
versaries of the Sabbath-school of the Reformed Church 
at Paris. They were to have been followed by a third 
on a similar occasion, but the pious purpose of the 
preacher was not fulfilled by reason of his lamented 
death. A few passages of the original, which are 
wholly local in their application, have been passed 
over in the translation. They refer to a condition of 
things in both the church and state in a foreign land 
which have no intelligible meaning in our own. These 
omissions detract nothing from the beauty and com- 
pleteness of the discourses, which will be found rich 
in evangelical truth, expressed with great simplicity, and 
well adapted to the class that the preacher addressed* 



4 PREFACE. 

Let the dear children who read these sermons receive 
them as the last exhortation of a Christian friend whose 
love for them was peculiarly tender, and whose sole 
desire in delivering them, was to lead them "in the 
days of their youth" to the cross of his Saviour and 
theirs. 



LOVING WORDS. 



And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, 
filled with wisdom ; and the grace of God was upon 
him. 

jS"ow his parents went to Jerusalem every year at 
the feast of the Passover. 

And when he was twelve years old, they went up to 
Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 

And when they had fulfilled the days, as they re- 
turned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem ; 
and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 

But they, supposing him to have been in the com- 
pany, went a day's journey ; and they sought him 
among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 

And when they found him not, they turned back 
again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 

And it came to pass, that after three days they 
found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the 
doctors, both hearing them, and asking them ques- 
tions. 

1 * 5 



B LOVING WOE I 

A^I all that heard him were astonished at his un- 

] when they saw him. they were amazed : and 
his mother said onto him. 

dealt with us ? behold, thy father and I have sought 
:::: 5;::;— : .zz '. 

] he said unto them, How is it that ye sought 
me ? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's 

] they understood not the saying which he spake 

And he went down with them, and came to Na- 
zareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother 
kept all these sayings in her heart. 

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and 
in farour with God and man. Luke ii. 40-52. 

My dear young friends, I am quite 
sure you love to travel, and am about 
' ou a long and pleasant 
journey ; but before we enter upon it, 
most fancy s in Judea, 

at the time of which St. Luke speaks, 
more than eighteen hundred years 
ago. 



LOVING WORDS. 7 

It is spring time, toward the end 
of March ; which corresponds to the 
middle of the month Nisan, so called 
by the Jews, and as Judea is eighteen 
degrees, or four hundred and fifty 
leagues, nearer the equator than we 
are, — your school teacher will explain 
this, — the season is more advanced 
than with us. 

It is the pleasantest time of the 
year, in one of the most beautiful 
countries in the world ; now that the 
Turks have possession, it is quite 
changed, but I speak of the Judea of 
former times. Just at this season the 
weather is delightful, neither too cold 
nor too hot. The heat, however, is 
somewhat oppressive on the plains of 
Jericho, and on the coast of the fright- 
ful Dead Sea ; near which nothing 



8 LOVINOx WORDS. 

shows any sign of life. E sewhere, it 
is agreeably temperate ; in the inte- 
rior, on account of the elevation of 
the soil, the country is like a broad 
mountain, and on the borders of the 
sea a breeze is blowing at morning 
and evening, to which Moses makes 
reference in Genesis, where he speaks 
of " the cool of the day." 

Rains, storms, and inundations are 
over; the Jordan, after having for 
some weeks poured upon its banks a 
flood of water, mingled with a fertile 
soil, is about returning to its accus- 
tomed limits, to the great joy of the 
cultivator, who began to fear that his 
land would be carried away with it, 
and who waited also to be rid of the 
visits of the lion, chased from his lair 
by the swelling of the river. Some 



LOVING WORDS. 9 

weeks have passed since the trees put 
out their leaves, and the almond its 
blossom, which Solomon compares to 
the white hair of an old man. The 
apricot, peach, and plum are almost 
ripe, and we already hear the scythe 
of the reaper, whom passers-by salute 
in these words : " The Lord be with 
you!" and who answers: "The Lord 
bless you !" 

The feast of the Passover, which is 
the most solemn of all the feasts, takes 
place in the beginning of the harvest; 
— for it was the time of the year in 
which the earth most rejoices, when 
Grod delivered his people from the 
"Land of Egypt and the house of 
bondage." 

You see here and there throughout 
the country, groups of travellers who, 



10 LOVING WOEDS. 

from all parts of Judea, are going 
up to Jerusalem, " as cloves to their 
windows." These are the families of 
Israel, assembled in great companies, 
or caravans, about " to present them- 
selves before the Lord their God in 
the place which he has chosen." 

The men go up twice a year, in 
May, for the feast of Pentecost, and 
in September, for the feast of Taber- 
nacles; but the women, who are not 
required to go up but once, generally 
wait for the feast of the Passover. 

During the day, the caravan travels 
over a delightful region of country, 
like a continuous garden; and if there 
are a few barren spots, they pass over 
them without complaining. At night 
they stop, and, if time permits, rapidly 
pitch their tents under the bright 



LOVING WORDS. 11 

stars. On the way, they chant some 
of the beautiful "songs of degrees," 
so called, because they sing them while 
going up to Jerusalem, (which, being 
built on high ground, commands a 
view of the surrounding country,) as, 
for example, the Psalm cxxv., com- 
mencing thus : " They that trust in 
the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which 
can not be removed, but abideth for 
ever. As the mountains are round 
about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round 
about his people, from henceforth even 
for ever ;" or the Psalm cxxvi., which 
closes thus : " They that sow r in tears 
shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth 
and weepeth, bearing precious seed, 
shall doubtless come again with re- 
joicing, bringing his sheaves w T ith 
him." 



12 LOVING WORDS. 

But while they travel and sing, who 
will take care of their houses and 
lands, and guard them from the enemy 
or robbers? Grod has provided for 
that, for he forgets nothing that con- 
cerns his people. He has said by 
Moses : " Neither shall any man de- 
sire thy land, when thou shalt go up 
to appear before the Lord thy God 
twice in the year." They can there- 
fore go without fear : Grod takes care 
of their property, and what Grod takes 
care of, is well guarded. 

But what are these pilgrims going 
to do, when they arrive at Jerusalem ? 
I will tell you briefly ; for to enter 
into all the details, would make the 
narration too long. Every family is 
provided with a lodging in Jerusalem, 
during the celebration of the feast, and 



LOVING WORDS. 13 

the population of the city, which in 
ordinary times numbers 120,000, is 
twenty times as large during this cele- 
bration. The feast lasts seven days, 
of which the most solemn are the first 
and last, or " days of holy convoca- 
tion," devoted to public worship, or 
the Sabbath of entire rest. 

The intermediate time is taken up 
in the ordinary work, and the cere- 
monies of the feast. When the opening 
of this is announced by the sound of 
the trumpet, from the top of the moun- 
tain on which the temple stands, the 
father of each family brings a lamb, 
or a kid of a year old, and without 
blemish, kills it in the court of the 
sacrifices ; and after they have poured 
the blood on the altar of burnt-offer- 
ing, he takes home the flesh to roast. 
2 



14 LOVING WORDS. 

The evening being come, this lamb 
is served up with unleavened bread, 
and bitter herbs, on a table, around 
which the family gather, standing, 
each with his shoes on his feet, his 
dress girdled, and his stick in his 
hand, as if ready to set out on a 
journey. The father of the family 
blesses the food placed before them, 
above all the lamb of the Passover, 
of which he partakes with all who are 
assembled. All of it must be eaten, 
or if any remain, it is burned. At the 
beginning and end of the repast, he 
blesses likewise a cup of wine, which 
is passed around two or three times, 
while they sing the great Hallel, or 
hymn of praise, for such is the name 
given to the Psalms cxiii. and those fol- 
lowing to the cxviii. Doubtless they 



LOVING WORDS. 15 

sing with deep feeling ; " This is the 
day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice 
and be glad in it." I ought not to 
forget to tell you, that the youngest 
child in the family asks at the begin- 
ning of the repast, " What is the 
meaning of these services ?' ' To which 
his father replies, by narrating, as 
he has himself heard narrated, the 
history of that memorable night, 
when Israel went out of the land 
of Egypt, and the feast of the Pass- 
over was celebrated for the first 
time. These bitter herbs recall the 
days of bitterness spent in Egypt ; 
the unleavened bread, eaten while 
standing, is in memory of the hasty 
flight, which did not admit of their 
waiting till their bread was leavened, 
or of their sitting down to eat it. The 



16 LOVING WORDS. 

lamb called to mind the blood with 
which the door-posts were marked 
when the destroying angel was turned 
away. 

Upon the evening of the second 
day, they went into the fields in the 
neighbourhood of Jerusalem, to pluck 
a handful of corn, and so sanctify the 
fruits of the earth. The other days 
are celebrated by various sacrifices. 
Perhaps, my dear children, you would 
not like to have witnessed the death 
of the innocent lambs, but this was 
necessary, to foreshadow to the minds 
of the people the sacrifice of the inno- 
cent victim, who was to die for the 
sins of the whole world. 

Oh, how interesting must have been 
these ceremonies, these family repasts, 
this chanting of psalms, this mag- 



LOVING WORDS. 1/ 

nificent temple, with its vast courts, 
and superb columns ! You would, 
doubtless, like to have been there, and 
I also. But do you know what I 
would have liked far better ? 

I had far rather have been a fellow 
traveller with the pilgrims in a cara- 
van you see going up from Nazareth 
to Jerusalem. Do you ask, Was it 
richer or more honourable than the 
others ? On the contrary, it is the 
least so. No one coming from Naza- 
reth was much thought of, and with 
the Jews the word Xazarene was a 
term of reproach. What is it, then, 
that attracts me to this caravan ? Ah ! 
because there is found in it a child 
twelve years old, whom I should 
eagerly desire to know, and not I 
alone, for " many prophets and kings 
2 * 



18 LOVING WORDS. 

have desired to see him, and have 
not seen him, and to hear him, and 
have not heard him." The angels, 
too, looking down from heaven, fol- 
low his footsteps, asking, " What will 
this child become," whom a chain of 
prophets, from the commencement of 
the world, represent as "the Lamb of 
Grod, which taketh away the sins of 
the world," by the sacrifice of him- 
self; the glorious Conqueror who is 
" to destroy the works of the devil ;" 
the powerful King, who is to gather 
the nations for his inheritance; and 
the uttermost parts of the world for 
his possession. A child of twelve, 
who is to become the Saviour of the 
world. What a spectacle, my dear 
children, is this ! 

And when, having arrived at this 



LOVING WORDS. 19 

age, at which time a young Hebrew 
received the name of the son of the 
covenant, and commenced to partici- 
pate in the solemn feasts, he goes up 
to Jerusalem for the first time, what 
an honour for the caravan in which 
he goes ! All this is true. But per- 
haps those who enjoy this privilege 
do not know how great it is. Even 
his mother, and Joseph, whom he 
respectfully called his father, though 
he was the Son of God, understood it 
but imperfectly. As a child, Jesus 
was not distinguished from other chil- 
dren, but by his holy obedience. He 
did .not teach, nor perform miracles, 
for the time was not yet come. The 
Gospels which tell us so much about 
the last three years of his life, scarcely 
say anything of his childhood or of 



20 LOVIXG WORDS. 

the time preceding his baptism. In 
St. Luke, for example, there are 
twenty-three chapters for three years, 
and one chapter for thirty years. 
Perhaps you are curious to know 
more, but God has written his word 
for our instruction, not for our amuse- 
ment. And if St. Luke tells us but 
little of the child Jesus, what he does 
say is full of instruction. As Jesus 
the man should be the example for 
men, so Jesus the child should be the 
child's model. Perhaps many of you 
are as old as he was at the time of 
which we are writing. Learn, then, 
of him, what a child of your age should 
be. Oh, my dear children, the more 
you strive to copy his example, the 
happier you will be ! And why should 
you not strive? The first step in this 



LOVING WORDS. 21 

endeavour is to know him ; and this, 
with the help of God, we will en- 
deavour to do. 

Jesus observes the law of Moses, 
and the form of worship which it en- 
joins. From the time of his birth, 
and before the child had the know- 
ledge to cry, " My father" and " My 
mother," he had been taken to the 
temple, and all that the law of God 
had commanded had been performed 
for him. But this was done by his 
father and mother, as was the case 
w T ith you, my dear children, when you 
were baptized. Now, however, that 
he has come to years of discretion, he 
is anxious to take part in the feasts 
of Jerusalem, and to profit by them ; 
for it is easy to see that it is not only 
obedience, but the desire of his own 



22 LOVING WORDS. 

heart, which takes him to Jerusalem 
with his parents. You will say, per- 
haps, Was there any need that a child 
so full of the grace of Grod, and so 
well instructed in his word, should 
go up with others to worship and to 
listen ? Jesus did' not reason thus at 
twelve years of age or at thirty. You 
remember, perhaps, that when John 
the Baptist refused to baptize him, 
saying, " I have need to be baptized 
of thee, and comest thou to me?" 
Jesus answered: "Suffer it to be so 
now, for thus it becometh me to fulfil 
all righteousness." You may remem- 
ber, too, how that, after he had been 
declared the Son of God, it was his 
custom to worship in the synagogue 
upon each Sabbath, and to attend 
every feast in the temple. Thus, 



LOVING WORDS. 23 

from his infancy, Jesus, showed him- 
self " an Israelite indeed," who sub- 
mitted himself to the law of Moses, 
though he was the Son of God, and 
Moses is called only the " servant of 
God." But for Jesus, the word of 
Moses was the word of God, and to 
disobey Moses was to disobey God. 
This accounts for his holy zeal in pre- 
senting himself at the Passover — in- 
creased, we may be sure, by the 
thought that he was accompanied by 
his father and mother, brothers and 
sisters. 

The New Testament does not con- 
tain rules for Christian worship like 
those which are found in the law of 
Moses, to regulate the time, place, 
and order. 

This is a great pity, perhaps you 



24 LOYING WORDS. 

will say, since we could serve Grod 
better, if he had continued to decide 
everything for us. But this is not 
the spirit of the gospel. In ancient 
times, Grod taught his people as a lit- 
tle child is taught ; and led them as a 
little child is led. Now, the church 
is, as it were, a full grown man, to 
whom the way is only to be pointed 
out, that he may follow it. Shall the 
man then wish that he were in lead- 
ing strings, because it is easier to be 
led ? No, the Christian cannot regret 
that he has no longer, like the Jew, a 
law of religious observances, if he 
understand the privilege and glory of 
the direct teaching of Grod's Holy 
Spirit. We have, instead, a Chris- 
tian church founded on the word of 
God ; we have Sabbath services,* and 



LOVING WORDS. 25 

Sabbath -schools, and above all, the sa- 
craments of baptism and the Lord's 
supper. In order to partake of this 
feast, we pre not called upon, like the 
Jews of old, to take a long and fatigu- 
ing journey, but each one may enjoy 
the privilege, wherever in Grod's pro- 
vidence he may be placed. You are 
not too young, to ask, as did the Jew- 
ish children, the meaning of this feast, 
what event does it recall ? why is the 
table spread ? who are they who par- 
take of it, and why am I not among 
them ? While we do not go up to a 
great temple, three times a year, we 
have a feast for our souls in the week- 
ly returning Sabbath. Do you prize 
this day of all days, my young friends, 
and thank God for it? Do you know, 
too, that God's blessing will rest upon 



26 LOVING WORDS. 

you, if you delight in it, and sanctify 
it in your hearts, and that you will be 
delivered from many temptations and 
snares which might otherwise befall 
you ? When Satan wishes to tempt a 
little boy and make him a wicked 
man, he often commences by attack- 
ing him on the Sabbath. " Ah poor 
child ;" he says, " is this your day of 
rest? You are taking a great deal 
of trouble to be good. Couldn't you 
amuse yourself better than by listen- 
ing to sermons? How many there 
are, as good as you, who never go to 
Sabbath-school !" So speaks the temp- 
ter, but what does Grod say ? " Seek 
first the kingdom of Grod and his 
righteousness, and all other things 
shall be added unto you." 

" The fear of the Lord is the begin- 



LOVING WORDS. 27 

ning of wisdom," &c. — Jesus went 
not only in the body, but in the spirit 
to the feast ; he lifted not only his 
hands, but his heart, to God. This 
you might have known, had it not 
been spoken of by St. Luke, but you 
would not have known, that he re- 
mained three days after the Passover, 
and was found by his parents in the 
temple, with the doctors, or learned 
men, who were astonished at his an- 
swers. Certainly if Jesus had not 
had a special mission as the Son of 
Grod, he w r ould not have caused his 
parents, particularly his mother, three 
days of anxiety by remaining at Je- 
rusalem, without telling them of his 
intention. 

But I will not now occupy myself 
in talking of his mission, and only say 



28 LOVING WORDS. 

a word respecting the lesson we are 
to learn from this particular event. 

How many children are glad of any 
excuse to stay away from their school 
and their teachers. Jesus, on the 
contrary, makes for himself a school, 
and summons his masters, that he 
may learn of them in private as well 
as in public. For, take notice, Jesus 
remains in the temple to learn, not to 
teach ; he listens, asks questions, and 
replies with modesty, to those who 
ask questions of him. 

In his divine character, he was able 
even then to teach with authority, for 
it was written of him in the Psalms, 
44 I have more understanding than 
all my teachers, for thy testimonies 
are my meditation. I understand 
more than the ancients, because I 



LOVING WORDS. 29 

keep thy precepts." But he had 
rather say with the young Elihu, 
" Days should speak, and the multi- 
tude of years should teach wisdom." 
The time would come, when he should 
speak with authority, and not as the 
Scribes, but he is now a child, and 
though wiser than his teachers, does 
not think of displaying his wisdom. 
It is said of some children, that they 
are wise beyond their years. So much 
the better, if they are more thought- 
ful, docile, and quiet, than children 
generally are ; but if by that is meant, 
that they have an assurance of man- 
ner, and authority, which is not na- 
tural, or pleasing, so much the worse. 
It is not good, for either mind or 
body, that they should, in this sense, 
be men before their time, — and I had 
3 * 



30 LOVING WOKDS. 

rather see them at their age as was 
Jesus at his. 

You say, perhaps, What had these 
doctors to teach Jesus, when they 
were so ignorant of the law of God, 
that, twenty years later, they joined 
themselves to the Pharisees, to de- 
mand the death of Him whose answers 
and wisdom they had so much ad- 
mired ? This is very true, but Jesus 
listens, and learns, notwithstanding; 
though he says, in after life, "They 
say, and do not." Most of them did 
not set a good example, though there 
were among them good men who were 
able to teach, having had the law of 
Moses in their possession for many 
generations. You know, for example, 
when Herod asked the wise men 
" where Christ should be born," they 



LOVING WOKDS. 31 

answered, at once, " In Bethlehem of 
Judea; for thus it is written by the 
prophets ; and thou, Bethlehem, in 
the land of Juda, art not the least 
among the princes of Juda, for out of 
thee shall come a governor that shall 
rule my people Israel." They could 
tell Jesus much that was instructive 
and useful in the prophecies, for the 
prophets had written of him. There 
is no doubt that his mind is ever fur- 
nished from the word of Grod, and I 
think I can see him sitting beside his 
mother, reading the prophecies which 
relate to his own sufferings, and ask- 
ing, perhaps, the meaning of the 
twenty-third Psalm, or fifty-first chap- 
ter of Isaiah, which, by degrees, is re- 
vealed to him. It is in this way that 
he has acquired the wisdom which 



32 LOVING WORDS. 

the doctors admire so much, without 
knowing the reason of it ; and in this 
way, too, he is becoming strong enough 
to resist the temptations of the devil 
in the wilderness, with no other 
shield than the word of Grod, which 
is so powerful a defence, that his en- 
emy leaves him after three attempts 
to make him fall. 

Like the Lord Jesus Christ, my 
dear children, strive while you are 
young, to realize the value of God's 
word of truth. Avail yourselves of 
every occasion to hear it, ask your 
parents and teachers to explain it ; 
but above all, read and search the 
Scriptures. In them you will find a 
light to guide you in darkness, and 
strength to help you in temptation. 
You know that, in these days, almost 



LOVING WORDS. 33 

every one knows how to read. The 
coachman on his box, the merchant 
behind the counter, even little chil- 
dren are sometimes seen with news- 
papers, and if they are good, it is not 
wrong to read them. But, my dear 
children, there is no news so import- 
ant as that which the Bible brings us. 
In it we find "the one thing needful," 
which our Lord exhorts us to choose, 
like Mary, and to which St. Paul ex- 
horts Timothy to apply himself. 

Listen to the blessed promise made 
to those who read it attentively, and 
whose delight is in the law of the 
Lord: u He shall be like a tree planted 
by the rivers of water, that bringeth 
forth his fruit in his season ; his leaf 
also shall not wither, and whatsoever 
he doeth shall prosper. * * * Then 



34 LOVING WOEDS. 

shalt tliou walk in thy way safely, 
and thy foot shall not stumble." 
Would you succeed in all that you 
undertake? meditate first upon God's 
word : yet it will not be of use to you 
if you read hastily, shut your book, 
and say, I have read my chapter. 
You must think of what vou read, 
and ask God to help you to under- 
stand it. Open your New Testament, 
for instance, in this spirit, and read 
the verse found in Romans xii. 10: 
" Be kindly affectioned one to another 
with brotherly love," &c. Say to 
yourself: The Bible tells me I ought 
to be kind, affectionate, and unselfish; 
but how often am I disobedient to my 
parents and teachers, and perhaps 
jealous of my young friends! 
God, make me humble, respectful, 



LOVING WORDS. 35 

affectionate, and ready to give up to 
others ! You continue : " Xot sloth- 
ful in business, fervent in spirit, serv- 
ing the Lord.'' Am I active, indus- 
trious, prayerful, and faithful ? Again 
ask God to " search you and try you, 
and see if there be any wicked way in 
you, and to lead you in the way ever- 
lasting." A verse read in this man- 
ner will do you more good than a 
chapter without prayer or thought. 
I know it is not easy even for grown 
people so to read, but by the help of 
the Holy Spirit, you will better un- 
derstand Grod's word, and by reading 
in the spirit of the child Jesus, you 
may be filled with the knowledge of 
Grod while you are yet young. In 
thus studying the Scriptures, Jesus 
Christ was preparing himself for the 



36 LOVING WOKDS. 

work which the Father had given 
him to do — " to seek and to save that 
which was lost;" that work which he 
spoke of as "finished" at the cruci- 
fixion; and in the earlier part of his 
ministry, when he said : " My meat 
and drink are to do the will of him 
that sent me." That he was prepar- 
ing himself for this, even when a child, 
we can see by his reply to his mo- 
ther : u Wist ye not that I must be 
about my Father's business?" Jesus 
knew that he was not sent into the 
world for his own amusement or ad- 
vantage, but for the glory of God, 
and the good of man; and feeling that 
for so great a work he had none too 
much time, he served Grod as faith- 
fully when a child as in his manhood. 
Thus, at this time, he taught by his 



LOVING WORDS. 37 

example what he taught later in word; 
11 He that loveth father or mother 
more than me is not worthy of me," 
&c. 

And now, my dear young friends, 
do you ever ask yourselves why God 
has placed you in the world ? Young 
as you are, you no doubt often think 
of the future, and of the manner in 
which you will spend your life, if it 
please God to prolong it. You say, 
perhaps, What shall I do to distin- 
guish myself, or to be rich ; or what 
profession shall I choose? I hope 
you do not go farther, and ask, What 
shall I eat and what shall I drink, 
or how shall I amuse myself? But 
these questions are not all wrong; 
some of them are right, in their place. 
God has not made anything in vain. 

4 



38 

When he placed you in the workl 
had a work for vou to do, and for 
alone. This work, I need not bell 

is not like the Tk of our L 
What man, what angel, w :ure 

would dare to pretend to assist hoi the 
work of redemption? I. e en I, am 
the Lord; and beside me there is no 
ur.*' Nor is rk rs g 

hat to which St Paul was ap- 
pointed: t the whole 
world, ; an in- 
dent :: Bonverting ;.:":::> 
a : ol a : :■ the gospel of C hris : T 
one man among million- is giv 

T: , T : 
to Paul, the work of Paul; an 
you, your work, which Grod 
pressly appointed for you, and 
for it. It may be some great en 



LOVIXG WORDS. 39 

prise : to carry the gospel to the hea- 
then, like the missionary Casalis : to 
found a charitable institution, like 
Francke ; or to reform a parish and 
civilize a country like Oberlin. This 
may astonish you, but who knew of 
St. Paul, in his childhood, what man- 
ner of child he should be ? 

Many of you, however, may be 
called to an humble and obscure po- 
sition; but humble or glorious, ob- 
scure or distinguished, it matters little 
in the sight of God : " the Lord seeth 
not as man seeth ; for man looketh 
on the outward appearance, but the 
Lord God looketh on the heart." 
What makes a man great in the sight 
of God is not that he has a great work 
to do, but that he is faithful in the 
work to which he is appointed. Serve 



40 LOVIXG- WORDS. 

God with fidelity, and you will have 
the happiness of knowing that you 
are co-workers with God. who will 
reveal to you. day after day. the way 
in which you should walk. If you 
do not choose to serve him. God, who 
has no need of his creatures, will find 
others to do his work ; but you will 
lose not only your labour, but your 
reward. While others are busied 
about their own affairs, is there not 
one among you, my dear children, 
who desires, like Jesus Christ, to con- 
secrate himself to the work of God? 
Oh say, with him, " I would be about 
my father's business." Give me wis- 
dom. God, to know what I am to 
do, and faithfulness to accomplish 
my work ! I am young ; life is be- 
fore me ; I would glorify tkv name, 



LOVING WORDS. 41 

and do good to my fellow-men : Lead 
me, and I will follow thee! Are 
there any among the girls or boys 
whom I address, who have given their 
hearts to God? Oh, I trust there are, 
and that they are ready to answer: 
As for me, I will not pass my time, 
like the useless butterfly, in my own 
amusement, but rather like the bee, 
in making precious honey. I would 
spend my life in such a way, that 
when I come to die, I may not feel 
that I have lived in vain. 

Yes, dear children, I beseech you, 
seek salvation through our Lord and 
Saviour, and then follow his example. 
Do not think you must wait until you 
are grown up, before you enter upon 
the service of Grod. Begin now, and 
you will find how much a child can 
4 * 



42 LOVING WORDS. 

do. Happy the children of whom it 
may be said, They love their Bible, 
they love their school, they are obe- 
dient to their parents and teachers, 
in short, they follow the example of 
the Lord Jesus Christ, who pleased 
not himself, and who did with his 
might whatsoever his hands found to 
do. Oh, happy the family and school 
where such a child is found ! Jesus 
was but a little child when it was re- 
marked of him, that he was different 
from other children, and one of our 
verses explains it, by telling us that 
he was filled with wisdom and the 
grace of Grod was upon him. God 
approved, blessed, guided, and loved 
him ; — such was this holy child, and 
such should you be. Loving Grod and 
loved by him, you will surely be 



LOVING WORDS. 43 

happy, whatever may befall you. A 
minister was one day called to see a 
little child who was very ill, too ill, it- 
was thought, to recover. He was sit- 
ting up in bed, leaning against a pil- 
low, while he read a book of hymns, 
which he held in his hand. His pale 
and thin cheeks showed a great deal 
of suffering, but he did not look un- 
happy. After a few minutes, the 
clergyman said to him, 

" Do you think you will ever get 
well?" ' 

" No, sir," he replied, " the doctor 
said that I might live a few weeks, 
but he should not be surprised if I 
should die at any moment." 

" Are you willing to die?" 

11 Oh yes, sir, sometimes I feel sorry 
when I think of leaving my father 



41 LOVING WORDS. 

and mother ; but I know that in hea- 
ven I shall be with mv Saviour, and 
I hope they will meet me there. I 
am almost afraid I am too anxious to 
go." 

" What makes you think that you 
are ready to die?" 

He hesitated a moment, then said, 

u Because Jesus Christ says, ' Him 
that cometh unto me, I will in no 
wise cast out.' I know that I have 
come to him, and love him, and I 
want to be with him !" 

While the clergyman talked with 
him, they heard shouts of laughter 
from some little children who were 
playing in the street. 

11 Oh ! how much happier I am 
now," said the sick child, " than when 
I was well and able to play with those 



LOVING WORDS. 45 

little boys ; for then I did not love 
God, and now there is not a child in 
the street who is as happy !" 

Another little boy who died at the 
age of six, lived long enough to show 
that, by coming yourself to the Sa- 
viour, you may bring others as well. 
While his parents were weeping be- 
side him, a poor workman came to 
the house, and asked permission to 
see him. At first he was refused, but 
upon urging his request, he was ad- 
mitted. As soon as he saw the body, 
he burst into tears, and, to the surprise 
of the parents, said : 

" You wonder why I weep ; I will 
tell you. God made use of your little 
boy to soften my hard heart. One 
day, when I was coming down a long 
ladder leading from the roof of a 



46 LOVING WOKDS. 

house upon which I had been work- 
ing, I found your little boy at the 
foot. 'Were you not afraid when 
you were up so high ?' he asked, and 
then added : ' Oh, I know why you 
were not afraid ; you prayed Grod to 
take care of you this morning !' I 
had not done so then, but I have ever 
since." 

May we not believe of these chil- 
dren that they were " filled with wis- 
dom, and the grace of Grod was upon 
them?" 

There are but two verses written 
about our Saviour, from the time of 
his visit to the temple to his baptism; 
that is, from the age of twelve till he 
was thirty; but there is much to learn 
from these two verses. St. Luke tells 
us that " He increased in wisdom and 



LOVING WORDS. 47 

stature, and in favour with God and 
man." The promise of his childhood 
was fulfilled in his youth and man- 
hood ; and thus was realized the 
beautiful verse in Proverbs iv. 10 : 
" The path of the just is as a shining 
light, which shineth more and more 
unto the perfect day." From this 
you learn that we cannot stand still 
in our course, but must either become 
better or w r orse. If you do not ad- 
vance, you lose ground. 

But what I w r ould have you notice 
particularly is, that Jesus was " sub- 
ject to his parents." He went into 
the temple and talked with the doc- 
tors, to fulfil his mission from (xod, 
which he could not slight, but he 
nevertheless was " subject to them." 
He had more wisdom and grace 



43 LOVING WORDS. 

than any man : He was the Son of 
God, and his parents were sinful 
creatures who had need of his salva- 
tion ; but he was " subject to them." 

What the child is at home, he will 
be at school, and later on, in society. 
Obedient to his parents, he will be 
obedient to all the authorities estab- 
lished by God. Disobedient and dis- 
respectful at home, he will resist his 
teachers, and disregard the laws of 
his country. I would have you all, 
my friends, whether young or old, 
apply to your consciences the words 
of St. Luke, ,% he was subject." &c. — 
by the humble and the great, by chil- 
dren and parents, scholars and teach- 
ers, ministers of the gospel, and min- 
isters of justice, oh that all were sub- 
ject to Grod ! 



LOVING WORDS. 49 

We all have him for our example, 
and the promise of his grace to enable 
us to follow it. Come to him, then, 
as poor sinners, not able of yourselves 
to think a good thought, for that par- 
don and help which are yours by the 
purchase of his blood, if you believe. 
Come, and you will find that the se- 
cret of living like Jesus is to live 
with him by faith and prayer. 



LOVING WORDS. 



SEKMON II. 



" Even a child is known by his doings, whether his 
work be pure, and whether it be right." Prov. 
xx. 11. 

Theee is a story in the Bible about 
a man named Hazael, who was an 
officer in the court of Benhadad, king 
of Syria. Elisha, a prophet of the 
Lord, came to Damascus, a great city 
in the kingdom, at a time when the 
king was very sick. Benhadad, har- 

51 



52 LOVING WORDS. 

ing heard of the wonderful cure of 
Naaman the leper, performed by the 
prophet, sent Hazael to ask Elisha to 
come to him. When Hazael pre- 
sented the request of the king his 
master, Elisha looked at him for some 
time without speaking, and then burst 
into tears. " Why weepeth my lord?" 
said Hazael, and Elisha answered: 
" Because I know the evil that thou 
wilt do unto the children of Israel: 
their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, 
and their young men wilt thou slay 
with the sword." And Hazael an- 
swered : " Is thy servant a dog, that 
he should do this great thing?" Then 
Elisha said : " The Lord hath showed 
me that thou shalt be king over 
Syria." The next day, Hazael killed 
the king, sat upon the throne, and 



LOVING WORDS. 53 

did all the wicked things which the 
prophet had foretold. If I could tell 
you, as Elisha told Hazael, all that is 
going to befall you, and if I could say 
to you, God hath showed me that 
you shall be rich and honoured, or 
that you shall be poor and obscure ; 
you will live to old age, or die young; 
enjoy good health, or suffer from sick- 
ness ; you are to remain in your own 
country or go abroad, — if I could tell 
you all these things, my young friends, 
would you not listen eagerly? But 
to be able to do this, I must be a pro- 
phet, which I am not ; or to pretend 
to know it, I must be a fortune-teller, 
which I would not be on any account, 
knowing that such are an abomina- 
tion to G-od. Besides, if I knew all 
that was to befall you, I would not 

5* 



54 LOVING WORDS. 

tell you, unless commanded by God, 
as he commanded Elisha; for to do 
so, would be to expose you to great 
temptation and sorrow ; and we have 
reason to thank God that he has con- 
cealed this knowledge from us. There 
is, however, one thing about the fu- 
ture which I can tell you, although it 
may not interest you as much as many 
things which I cannot tell; but this 
one truth is the only one of any im- 
portance for you to know. I can tell 
whether you are going to serve God 
and keep his commandments, walk- 
ing therein without turning to the 
right or to the left, and whether you 
will be accepted by Him who looks 
not upon the outward appearance, 
but upon the heart. To know this, 
I need not be a prophet. I have only 



LOVING WORDS. 55 

to see what you are at the present 
time, for it is written in my text, 
" even a child is known by his do- 
ings." 

How is it, then, that we can tell so 
much about your future character, 
when we cannot pretend to know 
what will be your future history ? 
Herein is the difference : your pres- 
ent actions depend entirely upon 
yourself, and show what is the state 
of your heart, as the fruit shows 
whether the tree be good or bad ; but 
your history depends upon many 
things over which you have no con- 
trol. A gardener, by looking at a 
seed, can tell what kind of fruit it 
will produce, if God give it life ; but 
he cannot tell whether the soil w r ill 
be favourable, the sun warm, the rains 



56 LOVING WORDS. 

plentiful, or whether, indeed, the plant 
may not be pulled up before it bear 
fruit at all. Well, dear children, I 
am the gardener, and your present 
actions are the seeds at which I look 
to show me the state of your heart ; 
and knowing what is there, I can tell 
you of your future conduct : good, if 
the heart is good ; bad, if it is bad. 
Of your future history I know nothing, 
for Gi-od " maketh his sun to shine 
upon the evil and upon the good, 
upon the just and the unjust." Your 
character is written upon your hearts; 
your history is not there. 

G-od has placed us in the world to 
follow the example of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who went about doing good; 
but besides this general work, there 
is a particular mission for each one 



LOVING WORDS. 57 

of us. Look at that group of men in 
a harvest field ; they are all working 
in the same field, but they are not all 
doing the same thing. One cuts the 
grain with his scythe, another binds 
it in bundles, a third ties them up, 
and a fourth gathers them into the 
barn. We, likewise, are all called upon 
to serve God, though not in the same 
way : Grod having given to each one 
his place and his task, your work is 
not mine, nor is mine yours ; and as 
our place is provided for us, our facul- 
ties, our history, and even the dura- 
tion of our life, are ordered with re- 
ference to it. Grod having pointed 
out the way, exhorts us to walk in it, 
but he does not force us ; and while 
some " delight to run in the way of 
his commandments," many, alas, turn 



58 LOVING WOKDS. 

aside. It is for this reason, dear 
children, I inquire so anxiously 
whether your work now "be pure, 
and whether it be right." The mis- 
sion of our Lord Jesus Christ was, to 
glorify God on the earth, and die on 
the cross for the salvation of sinners. 
This work he so perfectly accom- 
plished that nothing was wanting, 
and the law of Grod was not more 
minutely written than faithfully ac- 
complished in the life and death of 
our Saviour. Thus, when in dying, 
he said, "I have finished the work 
which thou gavest me to do," both 
Grod and man confirm the testimony 
he rendered to himself, and which 
none other so fully deserved. Yes, 
dear children, it is only by reason of 
the finished work of our Lord, that 



LOVING WORDS. 59 

we dare to stand before God with 
peace in our hearts, and his name 
upon our lips. Thanks to the grace 
of God, there are some who, though 
at a great distance from our perfect 
Example, have faithfully accomplished 
the work appointed them, and they, 
too, as their lives end, could say with 
joy, " I have finished my work." 

Such was the life of a good man, in 
w r hose history you will find so much 
instruction that I hope you will listen 
to it with attention. 

In a valley formed by a group of 
mountains detached from the Yosges, 
and called Le Ban de la Roche, there 
lived, nearly a hundred years ago, a 
people quite cut off from the rest of 
the world, and almost uncivilized, 
though they were within a dozen 



60 LOVING WORDS. 

miles of Strasburg. The houses in 
which these poor people lived, were 
miserable cabins, built among the 
rocks. They cared nothing about the 
instruction of their children, few of 
whom could read, and a school-master 
was not as well supported as the shep- 
herd who took care of the few flocks 
found among them. The land was 
scarcely more cultivated than the in- 
habitants ; for on the side of the 
mountain it was so steep that it 
seemed almost impossible to till it, 
and in the plain, the streams were so 
abundant that there were few spots 
dry enough for culture. Besides, the 
soil was rocky, and the climate so 
cold, that neither the vine nor grain 
could flourish, and the potatoe, which 
had been introduced in the year 1709, 



LOVING WORDS. 61 

when there was a great famine, had 
become so poor that it was hardly- 
worth planting. Then, too, there 
were no good roads communicating 
with Strasburg or the neighbouring 
villages, and as the}' had no opportu- 
nities for getting new ideas, they lived 
in great ignorance. I need not tell 
you that the Bible was scarcely known 
among them, for the only thing neces- 
sary to keep people in ignorance, is 
to withhold the Bible, which is full 
of instruction on all points relating to 
this world, as well as the world to 
come. 

To this country where darkness and 
ignorance reigned, and where the peo- 
ple were scarcely more enlightened 
than a tribe of Hottentots, came a 
young pastor named Oberlin, who, in 



62 LOVING WORDS. 

the year 1767, accepted this humble 
position, which no one else would 
take. The three traits necessary to 
make one useful in the world, are a 
pious heart, a clear head, and a per- 
severing will, — and these Oberlin pos- 
sessed to a remarkable degree. He 
set to work at once, determining to 
accomplish two things: the enlighten- 
ing of the people, and the civilization 
of the country. On the Sabbath, he 
preached the gospel, announcing the 
love of God the Father, who sent his 
Son to die for a world lost in sin ; 
and by making them friends to the 
Lord Jesus, he so attached them to 
himself, that he was generally known 
among them as a father. During the 
week, he went at the head of his flock, 
with his pick-axe on his shoulder, to 



LOVING WORDS. 63 

assist in digging trenches to carry off 
the water which overflowed the plains, 
to raise embankments on the hill-side, 
that the land might be cultivated to 
greater advantage, and to open roads 
from one village to another. This 
was not all: he imported better seeds 
and fruits, founded a savings-fund, 
encouraged industry, and sent, at his 
own expense, intelligent young men 
to Strasburg, to learn trades. He in- 
troduced spinning, and induced the 
Le Grand family, of Basle, to come 
and live in the province, where they 
established a silk manufactory, and 
proved to be great benefactors to the 
people. 

Oberlin died at the age of eighty- 
six, in the midst of this great family, 
of which he was the head, leaving a 



64 LOYIXG WORDS. 

Christian pe here he had found 

heathen, and a prosperous country 
where he had found a wilderness. 
Do not think that this work was easily 

mplishecl. Oberlin experienced 
the truth of Christ's saying: " The 
servant is not greater than his lord ; 
if they have persecuted me, they will 
also persecute you." But he deter- 
mined to overcome evil by good, and 
at last succeeded. One day he was 
informed that some of the people who 

e opposed to his work had resolved 
to lay wait for him, and punish him. 
A certain Sunday was appointed, and 
on the morning of that dav Oberlin 
preached from the text, " Resist not 
evil." &e. After service, those who 
had conspired against him retired to 
the house of one of the party, where 



LOVING WOKDS. 65 

the plan was arranged, when suddenly 
the door opened, and Oberlin entered. 

"My friends," said he, "here I 
am ; as you wished to attack me, I 
have come to deliver myself up, that 
you may not be guilty of the baseness 
of lying in wait for me." 

What do you think these wicked 
people did ? They humbly asked his 
pardon, and from that day aided him 
in all his benevolent plans. 

Perhaps you say, I could not do 
the work of Oberlin without his tal- 
ents or position ; but if you labour 
faithfully, and in his spirit, you may 
accomplish great things ; as in the 
case of a poor servant of the good 
pastor, who followed in his footsteps, 
and helped him in his missionary 
work among his people. Louise 

6* 



66 LOVING WOEDS. 

Scheppler, at the age of fifteen, was 
so impressed with the piety of Ober- 
lin, that she begged to enter his ser- 
vice. He received her into his family, 
and from that time she never left 
him, but served him for fifty years, 
without accepting any recompense ; 
wishing to be considered as a friend, 
without, however, ceasing to be an 
obedient servant. She worked so 
faithfully with him, that it is impos- 
sible to relate the history of Oberlin 
without saying something about Lou- 
ise. She not only helped him in his 
parish by her counsels and her efforts, 
but sometimes her suggestions were 
of great use to her pastor. Thus, 
seeing that the peasant women could 
not work in the fields and attend to 
their little ones, she assembled the 



LOVING WORDS. 67 

children in a large room, where, at 
the head of some other guardians, she 
amused and instructed them during 
the absence of their parents. Such 
institutions are now known as orphan 
asylums, and for them we are indebted 
to Oberlin, through Louise Scheppler. 
We cannot better tell you of her 
worth, than by citing the testimony 
of Oberlin, found in his will : " My 
dear children," he says, "I leave to 
your care and protection my faithful 
friend, the indefatigable Louise, who 
has brought you up, and been to you 
almost a mother. A true servant of 
Christ, her zeal extended still further. 
She went into the villages, assembled 
the children about her, instructed 
them in the will of God, taught them 
to sing, prayed with them, and com- 



68 LOVING WORDS. 

municated to them all the instructions 
she had received from her excellent 
mother. The innumerable difficulties 
she encountered would have discour- 
aged others. The rude character of 
the children, their language, which 
she hardly understood, bad roads, 
rocks, rivers, overflowing streams, 
storms, snow and ice, — nothing dis- 
couraged her. She gave herself up 
to the service of G-od. I leave her in 
your care; you will show, by your 
attentions to her, whether you respect 
the last wishes of your father." The 
children of Oberlin wished Louise to 
share in their little portion, but she 
absolutely refused, and requested only 
to be permitted to add his name to 
hers; and she was, therefore, known as 
Louise Scheppler Oberlin. 



LOVING WORDS. 69 

And now do you again ask, What 
is my work, and will I ever perform 
it as faithfully as these two servants 
of the Lord ? You are answered by 
the text, which tells you to look at 
your actions at the present time. The 
acorn will become an oak if it has in 
it the germ of an oak ; and you will 
accomplish the duty of to-morrow, of 
next year, of your whole life, if you 
are faithful in the performance of the 
duty of to-day. When we look at a 
little child, we are too apt to ask, 
" What will he become by and by?" 
Whereas we ought to inquire, " What 
is he now ?" The friends of Zacha- 
rias asked, concerning the infant 
John, "What manner of child w T ill 
this be?" but his father was well 
satisfied, because he had heard the 



70 LOVING WOEDS. 

angel say, before his birth," He shall 
be filled with the Holy Ghost; and 
many of the children of Israel shall 
he turn to the Lord their God : and 
he shall go before him in the spirit 
and power of Elias, to turn the hearts 
of the fathers to the children, and the 
disobedient to the wisdom of the just, 
to make ready a people prepared for 
the Lord." Oh look well to your 
conduct in childhood ! 

I know that you may change later 
in life, but I am only sure about those 
who are already walking in the ways 
of the Lord, and trusting in his grace 
to keep them from temptation. There 
is a possibility of change, as I said 
before. When ? Some time hence. 
But are we sure their lives will be 
spared? and, alas, that which pre- 



LOVING WORDS. 71 

vents their serving God at present, 
may it not still prevent ? As is the 
seed, so is the tree; as is the child, 
so is the man. A young oak, small 
though it may be, is still a tree; and 
a child is in the same sense a man ; 
so is the work of a child a man's 
work, undertaken in the beginning. 
To " love God with all your heart, 
and your neighbour as yourself," is as 
much your duty now as it will ever 
be. And whom should you love, dear 
children, if not God ? who is the only 
holy, the only wise, the only good 
Being, and to whom David addresses 
the beautiful Psalm commencing : 
11 Bless the Lord, my soul, and all 
that is within me bless his holy name. 
Bless the Lord, my soul, and for- 
get not all his benefits. Who for- 



72 LOVING WORDS. 

giveth all thine iniquities, who heal- 
eth all thy diseases ; who redeemeth 
thy life from destruction; who crown- 
eth thee with loving-kindness and 
tender mercies." 

Do you say you do not love Grod 
because you cannot see him? You 
do see him in his works, in all the 
good things he gives you, in the sun 
which shines upon you, in the air you 
breathe, in the blessings of your home 
and friends. And will you not listen 
to him when he says, u My son, give 
me thine heart?" The first and great 
commandment is, to " love the Lord 
with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy mind ; and the 
second is like unto it: Thou shalt 
love thy neighbour as thyself." It 
is never too soon, believe me, to put 



LOVING WORDS. 73 

these two commands into practice. 
Everywhere, and at all times, you 
may find occasion to serve God, and 
be useful to your neighbour. Do you 
ask how? I answer, in a thousand 
ways. You can make your parents 
happy by your obedience; you can 
be obliging to your brothers and sis- 
ters, and set a good example to your 
school-fellows and playmates. If you 
see any of your young friends doing 
wrong, you can strive to dissuade 
them from it, and counsel them to 
give their hearts to God. Some- 
times you may meet with difficulties, 
and be treated unkindly ; your good 
intentions may be mistrusted, and 
those whom you wish to serve may 
return evil for good : but you are 
placed here to glorify God, and he 



74 LOVESG WORDS. 

will gi ve yon courage to stand np for 
Ms cause, and yon will have his fa- 
vour, without which, nothing that yon 
could otherwise gain in this world 
would be worth having. 

To make the subject clear to you, 
suppose we follow a Christian child 
for a whole day. We will say he is 
hool-boy, and call him James. 
James rises early in the morning, 
and having finished dressing, opens 
his Bible, reads a chapter, or some 
ifter which he falls upon his 
knees and prays. He may not make 
a long prayer, but he speaks to God 
with his whole heart, and God hears 
him. 

When I say he speaks to God, I 
am reminded of the story of a little 
boy who was obliged to repeat daily 



LOVING WORDS. 75 

a prayer which he had learned ; but 
after he began to love his Saviour, he 
felt the need of saying what was in 
his heart. 

11 Mamma," said he, one day, after 
repeating the form of words she had 
taught him, " I have said my prayers, 
now I want to pray" 

To go back to our picture of a Chris- 
tian child : he, too, does not say his 
prayers, but offers up the desires of 
his heart; and when we are so in 
earnest, Grod listens to us, and grants 
us all that we truly need. James 
prays that his sins may be forgiven, 
that he may be kept from temptation, 
and that his friends who do not love 
God may be blessed with a change of 
heart. On his way to school he does 
not loiter, but goes briskly, even gaily, 



76 lovixct words. 

and when there attends diligently to 
all his lessons, trying to remember 
that, by studious and obedient habits. 
he will not only gratify his teachers, 
but glorify God, who tells us that 
this should be our aim, " whether we 
eat or drink, or whatsoever we do." 

If you think he does not love to 
play, you will find yourself mistaken, 
as you see him in the hour of recrea- 
tion with other little boys, whom, 
perhaps, he excels in leaping, run- 
ning, and playing ball. In school, 
the best scholar ; at play, the most 
active. School over, he returns home 
to be useful to his parents, and to try 
and make home happy for his brothers 
and sisters. All are glad to see him, 
and he has much to tell of the events 
of the day to his parents, who love to 



LOVING WORDS. 77 

have his confidence. At the close of 
the day, he thanks God for his care 
of him, and sleeps the sweet sleep 
which accompanies an easy conscience. 
On the Sabbath, if in health, he is al- 
ways found at Sabbath-school, and in 
the house of God ; and he spends the 
leisure of that holy day in reading 
his Bible, or some good book which 
a child may understand ; or, perhaps, 
in instructing his younger brothers 
and sisters, and assisting his parents 
in taking care of and entertaining 
them. 

Perhaps you think there are no 
such children, and that it is impossi- 
ble to be so good. Is it impossible to 
rise early and read the Bible ? To be 
obedient at home, and industrious at 
school ? To be constant in your atten- 

7* 



78 LOVING WORDS. 

dance upon the services of the Sab- 
bath ? You may not find it easy at 
first, but, like a little child who com- 
mences to walk by taking a few steps 
at a time, you will learn at last not 
only to stand, but to "run in the 
way of G-od's commandments." I fear 
there are not many such children as 
we have described, but this is a true 
picture of what a Christian child 
should be. 

A watch cannot go, unless the 
spring is in order ; a sailing vessel 
cannot move unless the wind blows 
upon it ; so you cannot serve God, 
unless you have the love of Grod in 
your heart. 

You wonder, perhaps, that I talk 
of a Christian child, and think that 
you must be a man before you can 



_ 



LOVING WORDS. 79 

rightly understand all that a Christian 
should know ; but Jesus Christ came 
to save little children, and you may 
remember what love he showed when 
they were brought to him that he 
might bless them. We have more 
hope that a young tree will take kindly 
to a new soil when it is transplanted, 
than one of more advanced growth. 
So with young hearts that are open to 
divine influence. 

What is a Christian ? A Christian 
is one who believes in Jesus Christ, 
with a faith that is of the heart and 
not of the head; and who strives 
to practice all that the Gospel 
teaches. Jesus Christ came to save 
sinners. Are you not a sinner, my 
dear little friends ? Grod forbids lying ; 
have you always told the truth from 



80 LOVING WORDS. 

your heart? Grod commands you to 
honour your parents ; — have you never 
disobeyed them ? — Grod says, " Re- 
member the Sabbath day to keep it 
holy;" have you never been idle or tri- 
fling in Sabbath-school or in church ? 
Grod says, " Thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God with all thy heart, and thy 
neighbour as thyself." Have you 
never been selfish, unkind, perhaps 
violent, with your young friends? 

As to your duty to Grod ; do you 
truly love him with all your heart ? 
Have you not often passed an entire 
day without ever thinking of him ? 
Alas ! my child, have you not lived 
for weeks, indeed months, and it may 
be years, in forgetfulness of him and 
of his goodness? We begin to sin 
when we begin to breathe. If any 



LOVING WORDS. 81 

want to know whether this is true, 
they have only to look at little infants, 
who, though they cannot speak, yet 
so often show evil tempers. It is 
written, " Sin entered into the world 
and death by sin." To assure our- 
selves further, it is only necessary to 
see that infants die as well as grown 
people. 

But whether for the infant acting 
out its evil nature, or for the grown 
man who violates the law of Grod, 
knowing the sin of transgressing, 
Christ's blood is shed, and an atone- 
ment made ! Nothing else can save 
us and oh, my dear children, I entreat 
you to " flee from the wrath to come," 
for it is a " terrible thing to fall into 
the hands of the living God." To-clay 
if ye will hear his voice, harden not 



82 LOVING WORDS. 

your hearts. Oh, say with your whole 
heart, " My Saviour, I know thou 
hast come to die for me, wash me in 
thy precious blood, and grant me 
grace to live to thy glory, and die in 
thy faith." 

Be very sure your prayer will be 
heard, and you will have the help of 
the blessed Spirit of God to keep you 
in the way of life, to give you strength 
to conquer sin, and to comfort you in 
all your troubles. Thank God that 
you are born in a Christian land, 
where you may hear about the Sa- 
viour, and not in a heathen country, 
where little children are brought up 
in wickedness, sold as slaves, and 
sometimes cruelly treated by their 
own parents. 

"When you think of this, you must 



LOVING WORDS. 83 

surely feel how much greater the rea- 
son you should serve God ; and make 
known by your example, that your 
work, from this time forth, will be 
pure and right. You ought to be 
ready for a long or a short life, and 
if you should die before entering upon 
any work for God, you will give evi- 
dence, by your preparation, that, had 
you lived, you would have been found 
among those who are known by their 
ways to be the children of God. 

It is the glory of the gospel of 
Christ that it provides for all possible 
circumstances, for a long life, or for a 
short one ; for health, or for sickness ; 
for wealth, or for poverty ; for joy, or 
for sorrow ; for the strong, or for the 
weak ; and for children, as well as for 
grown persons. 



84 LOVING WORDS. 

I have reserved for the little girls 
a story of a dear child who finished 
the work God had given her, before 
reaching the age of many, who, per- 
haps, think they are too young to 
help in the great work of sending 
Grod's word to the heathen. A min- 
ister had assembled the children of 
his parish to hold with them a mis- 
sionary meeting, and to tell them 
about the multitudes who worship 
images of wood and stone ; and how 
the unnatural parents, in countries 
where there is no knowledge of the 
true Grod, even kill their own little 
children, rather than have the trouble 
of bringing them up. During the 
recital, he observed one delicate-look- 
ing little girl whose bright eyes were 
fixed on him, and who seemed to fol- 



LOVING WORDS. 85 

low him without losing a single 
word. 

Having finished speaking, the pas- 
tor displayed some little boxes, the 
covers of which were ornamented with 
pretty pictures, representing various 
missionary scenes ; and one of these 
he offered to give to any among them 
who, during the year, should put 
aside something weekly to aid in send- 
ing the gospel to the heathen. Upon 
this, he saw the little girl put her arm 
about her father, a poor blacksmith 
who sat near her, and pointing to the 
boxes, entreated him to obtain one for 
her. " My friend," said the clergyman, 
" do you want one for your little girl?" 
The father took one, saying: "I do 
not know whether the poor child will 
ever be able to put anything in it." 



88 loving- words. 

A year passed, and the time came 
round for the opening of the boxes at 

the annual missionary meeting. The 
poor blacksmith was there, but he 
came alone. During the year he had 
lost his wife, and but a few days be- 
fore, buried his darling child. He 
presented the box to the clergyman, 
and weeping, said to him : " Here is 
the box you gave her. My dear little 
ewl beeped me to give her a cent 
weekly from my wages when I was 
pleased with her behaviour, and she 
never missed a week. There were 
fifty-two weeks, and there ought to 
be fifty-two cents." The minister, 
having counted, discovered fi: 
three more than the expected sum. 
The father, much distressed, counted 
over again, and said, finally, 



LOVING WORDS. 87 

" I cannot understand it. My child 
would never have taken what did not 
belong to her, even for a good cause; 
and yet there are three cents more 
than I gave her. Where they came 
from I do not know." 

He was so troubled, that he spoke 
of it the next day to a pious lady who 
had been very fond of his child, and 
who came to see him in his affliction. 

"I think I can explain it," said she. 
41 1 was with your child the evening 
before her death, and seeing how she 
suffered from fever, I asked her if the 
juice of an orange would not be pleas- 
ant, to which she replied, that she 
thought it might. I had just re- 
turned from the village, and having 
but three cents, which I had received 
in change after making some pur- 






88 LOVIXG WORDS. 

chases. I gave them to your little girl, 
telling her to send for an orange. I 
remember very well, too, regretting 
that I had nothing to put into the 
missionary-box which lav beside her 
on the bed." 

,; God be praised/' said the father, 
i% I understand it now. The orange. I 
am sure, was never bought : my child 
denied herself the refreshment, that 
she might have three cents more for 
her box." 

My dear children, does not the ex- 
ample of this little Christian child 
instruct us all ? and young as she was, 
did she not give evidence, that she 
accomplished her work before God 
called her out of the world, making 
manifest to her father, to her pastor, 
to her school and the church, that her 



LOVING WORDS. 89 

work was "pure and right?" Dear 
children, it costs something to be a 
Christian. You will be called upon 
to make many sacrifices ; for Jesus 
Christ says, " And whosoever doth 
not bear his cross, and come after me, 
cannot be my disciple." 

But the safety of your soul to all 
eternity ; and the happiness, even in 
this life, of serving so good a master, 
will make up for all. And then, if 
there are great sacrifices, there are 
also great benefits and blessings, at- 
tendant upon the service of God. 
These are not what we should desire 
supremely in seeking Christ, but w^hat 
he gives us without our asking, and 
more fully than if we made our own 
happiness the main object of our 
lives. 

8* 



90 LOVING WORDS. 

I said to you, that I could tell you 
nothing about your future, but of one 
thing I am sure. I know what our 
Lord promises, when he says, " Seek 
first the kingdom of God, and his 
righteousness, and all other things 
shall be added unto you." If God 
spares your life, and you are now 
studious, industrious, persevering, 
temperate in all things; and above all, 
pious, you will be intelligent, skilful, 
and prosperous, when you are grown 
up, for it is written, " The hand of the 
diligent maketh rich." On the con- 
trary, if you are idle, negligent, and 
neglectful of your duty, you will never 
succeed in anything you undertake. 
I know that if you are charitable, and 
earnest in your endeavours, to do 
good as you have opportunity, you 



LOVING WORDS. 91 

will secure the favour of God and 
man, for it is written, " Blessed is the 
man that feareth the Lord, that de- 
lighteth greatly in his command- 
ments. " " His seed shall be mighty 
upon earth, the generation of the up- 
right shall be blessed." I know, too, 
that if you seek your own good first, 
if you profane the Sabbath, act un- 
justly toward your neighbour, and 
forget Grod ; you will lose his favour, 
and you may become needy and suf- 
fer from the contempt of your fellow 
men ; for it is also written : " Them 
that honour me, I will honour ; and 
they that despise me shall be lightly 
esteemed." 

Yes, dear children, your fate is to 
some extent in your own hands ; even 
for your temporal future; and from 



92 LOVING- WORDS. 

what you are to-day. we may judge 
whether you are to grow up to be an 
honour, or a disgrace, to those who are 
interested in you. All that is needful 
for us to know we can foretell, if your 
work now is pure and if it be right. 
Oh, profit by the great privileges you 
enjoy in your youth. Just entering 
upon life, you have a choice of good 
and evil before you ; and if you could 
but look into the hearts of the many 
who have hitherto disregarded God, 
you would not wonder to hear them 
say : Oh, if I were only in the place 
of that little child, 1 would gladly lis- 
ten to the counsels, that, if heeded, 
would have made me so much hap- 
pier! 

Oh, how many sins, and sorrows, 
perhaps crimes, you will be saved 



LOVING WORDS. 93 

from, if you listen to the voice of God, 
saying, "My son, give me thine heart!" 
Begin this very day to serve Grod, and 
you will look back upon it with joy, 
as the birthday of a new life, the time 
when you resolved to walk in the way 
of God's commandments, without turn- 
ing to the right hand or the left. 

Enter the fold of the loving Saviour, 
who is so ready to take you in his 
arms. If from this time you listen to 
his voice, when the Chief Shepherd 
shall appear, "You shall receive a 
crown of glory that fadeth not away." 

And now a word to you who have 
lived long enough to regret the past ; 
and who contemplate these dear chil- 
dren with an interest, and tender re- 
gard, mingled perhaps with self-re- 
proach. The past is past, but the 



94 LOVIXG WORDS. 

Saviour is present ; reparation and 
consolation are present. It is not too 
late for you to enter upon a new life, 
or to begin to serve God, and to serve 
him perhaps the more faithfully, 
that the day with you is far spent. 
The glory of the gospel, is, that it not 
only grasps the present, but secures 
the future, and repairs the past. It 
brings the dead to life, and calls those 
things which were not as though they 
were ; presenting to us Jesus Christ, 
the same yesterday, to-day, and for 
ever. Come then as you are, with 
what remains to you of strength and 
of life. Believe only, and you will 
find, amidst your doubts, errors, and 
sins, that God has reserved a place 
for you in his vineyard, and that you 
have the ability, if hitherto concealed, 



LOVING WORDS. 95 

to work for him ; that you too may 
receive at last the plaudit, "Well 
done, good and faithful servant, enter 
thou into the joy of thy Lord." 

Fathers and mothers according to 
the flesh: to you I appeal to en- 
force the lessons designed for your 
children. With you it remains to 
strengthen the impressions they may 
have received at this time, and to 
watch over the seed sow r n in their 
young hearts, that it may spring up 
and bring forth fruit unto life eternal. 
I have entreated them to sanctify the 
Sabbath, and take part in the service 
of G-od; but how will they heed me 
if you do not take part with them ? 
Will they read and meditate the 
Scriptures, if you do not read and 
pray with them ? 



96 LOYIXG WORDS. 

They ought to be faithful in the 
performance of the duty of each day. 
with a view to fulfil the mission to 
which God has appointed them. But 
how will they do this, unless you set 
them the example ? They should be 
subject to authority. Do you so gov- 
ern them as to ensure a respect for it 
in your position as parents. Oh. how 
great is your responsibility, and how 
guilty must you appear in the sight 
of God, if you disregard the Saviour's 
invitation to bring the little ones to 
him! But. if faithful, what joy will 
be yours, when, at the last day, you 

shall meet vour children at the feet 

■ 

of the once crucified Saviour, who will 
stand ready to welcome the souls he 
has redeemed, and the hearts he has 
renewed ! 






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